Car-coupling.



No. 727,408. PATBNTBD' MAY 5,1903:

J. G. LIMYYERS. GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED 001223, 1902.

gluveutoz JGL. mm.

Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. L. MYERS, OF OSOEOLA MILLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,408, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed October 23, 1902.j Serial No. 128,494. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN G.'L. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Osceola Mills, in the county of Oleariield and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same- Thisinvention relates to car-couplers.

The object of the invention is to provide a coupler which is simple,cheap, strong, and durable, which obviates the use of cushioned bumpers,which may be easily and conven iently coupled and uncoupled, and whichis not liable to become casually disconnected in use.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction, com bination, and arrangement of parts,whichwill be hereinafter more fully set forth, and particularly defined inthe appended claim.

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing opposing parts of the couplerconnected. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 41s a horizontal sectionthrough the coupling member carrying the draw-bar.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 representopposing drawheads, each of which is preferably of frustoconical formand provided with an elongated shank 3, flanged, as shown at 4, for thepassage of bolts to secure it to a car.

The draw-head 1 and its shank are chambered for the reception of adraw-bar 5, provided at its outer end with an eye 6, at its inner endwith a head 7, and at a suitable point in advance of the latter with acollar or shoulder 8, said head and shoulder being adapted to abutagainst shoulders 9 on the shank to limit the inward andoutwardmovements of said bar. A coiled spring 10 surrounds the bar between thecollar 8 and shoulders 9 and cushions the bar on its inward movement, aswell as projects the same when pressure is relieved therefrom, therebylimiting the jolting between the coupling members and obviating the useof cushioned bumpers when the coupling is employed for comparativelylight draft-work, such as on mine-cars.

a coupling-hook 12,- which is adapted to engage the eye 6 on thedraw-bar 5. This hook iis intermediately pivoted upon a transverse pinor bolt 13 and tilts upwardly thereon in coupling and downwardly inuncoupling and is limited on its upward movement by the rear wall of thedraw-head and in its downward movement by a shoulder 14., engaging thebottom of said wall. In coupling the outer end of the draw-bar 5 entersthe draw-head 1 and abuts against the upper portion orshank 12 of thehook, thereby swinging said shank rearwardly and the hook 12 upwardly,whereby the latter is caused to project through the eye 6. In uncouplingthe outward movement of the draw-bar swings the hook forwardly anddownwardly, in which position it is retained by gravity until theentering draw-bar again contacts with the shank 12.

A segmental latch 15 is pivoted to swing upon a transverse bolt 16 in aslot 17, formed in the shank 3 of the draw-head 2, and is provided atits upper end with a book 18 to en gage the shank 12 of the hook 12 andlock said hook in coupling position. The lower end of the latch is actedupon by a coiled spring 19, which normally throws the hooked end of thelatch forward and downward or in position to engage said shank.

A hand-lever 20 has an angularly-bent portion 21, extending transverselyacross the top of the rear portion of the draw-head 2 and journaled insuitable bearings 22 to rock or oscillate, and this portion 21 carries alateral flange or lug 23, which is adapted when the lever 20 is swungback to engage and lift the hooked end 18 of the latch 15 out ofengagement with the shank'12 of the coupling-hook 12. A forward movementof the lever, on the contrary, moves the lug 23 out of engagement withthe latch and allows the said hooked end 18 thereof to engage the shank12 of the coupling-hook 12, thereby holding the latter in couplingposition. The draw-head 2 is formed with an inclined shoulder 24 toreceive the lug and support the lever when the latter is swung forward,while the latch has a shoulder 18 and the shank of the drawhead ashoulder 25, against which the lug and lever bear when the latter isswung back to extract the latch, and whereby the lever is held fromcasual forward movement in an obvious From the foregoing description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction,mode of operation, and advantages of my invention will be-readilyapparent, it is thought, without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a car-coupling, the combination with a draw-head carrying aspring-projected coupling-bar, of a companion draw-head formed withopenings in its top and bottom and provided with a vertical slot in itsshank, a coupling member pivoted to the latternamed draw-head andprovided with a hook moving in said bottom slot and a shank moving insaid top slot, a segmental latch pivoted intermediately of its endswithin said vertical slot in the shank and having its upper end formedinto a catch to engage the shank of the coupling member, a spring seatedin the base of tho draw-head and acting on the lower end of the latch toforce the same rearward and the catch forward, and a lever having a lugto engage and force the catch end of the latch out of engagement withthe shank against the tension of said spring, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesscs.

JOHN G. L, MYERS.

\Vitnesses:

DOMER MYERS, A. RLTINGLE.

